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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28781790">me take baff</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/finnbingus/pseuds/finnbingus'>finnbingus</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Banana Fish (Anime &amp; Manga)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Bathing/Washing, Fluff, Light Angst, M/M, No Smut, they deserve the world</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 07:20:55</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>914</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28781790</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/finnbingus/pseuds/finnbingus</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Eiji helps wash Ash after he rescues him from Dino</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Ash Lynx &amp; Okumura Eiji, Ash Lynx/Okumura Eiji</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>149</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>me take baff</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>just wanted to write a cute fic about my boys....n e ways they deserved better</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Eiji laughed. “I’ll turn around.” Ash stripped until he was in his boxers, wincing when he raised his arms over his head. There were cuts and bruises all over his body, it seemed. He carefully lowered himself into the bath, breathing out a sigh of relief as the warm water surrounded his aching limbs. “Ready?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mm-hmm.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eiji knelt beside the bath. Rather than the cruel raking gazes Ash was used to when he undressed before somebody, Eiji was averting his eyes. A slight blush dusted his cheeks. He ducked the plastic cup under the water and gently poured it over Ash’s head, soaking his blonde hair. He repeated this a few times in silence.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You don’t have to do this, you know,” Ash said. “I can bathe myself.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eiji smiled, though he didn’t meet Ash’s eyes. “Nonsense. You saved my life. This is the least I can do. Plus, you’re covered in gross blood!” Ash looked down at the bath water, which was slowly becoming a light pink. He wrinkled his nose. Eiji paused before asking, “Do you want me to go?” There was no motive behind it, no guilt tripping. It was an honest question. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Are you uncomfortable? Is this okay?</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>That was something Ash liked about Eiji. He was pushy, playful, stubborn when he needed to be (and when he didn’t). But he always stopped to check in with Ash. It wasn’t because he thought he was weak or damaged; Ash could tell that this was just who he was. Caring. Kind. There was never any hidden motive behind his actions.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Of course not. You just seem, I don’t know, flustered. Or something.” Ash grinned.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eiji splashed him, blushing even deeper. “Am not! Now hold still, unless you want shampoo in your eyes.” He grabbed the pink bottle of shampoo and squeezed a generous amount onto his palm. He hesitated.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Can I?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re awfully timid today,” Ash mused. “Of course. My hair isn’t going to wash itself.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eiji rolled his eyes. “Ass.” He leaned forward and began shampooing Ash’s hair. Ash closed his eyes and let himself relax into the bath. </span>
  <em>
    <span>This is nice,</span>
  </em>
  <span> he thought as Eiji massaged his scalp. His nails felt good against his skin. They stayed like that for a few minutes, the only sound being the quiet rustling of Eiji’s hands in Ash’s soapy hair. Ash opened one eye to glance slyly at Eiji, who appeared very focused on his task. He admired the way his brows furrowed in concentration, a stray tuft of hair tickling his forehead. He felt the sudden urge to reach out and brush the strand of hair from his face. He refrained.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Close your eyes,” Eiji instructed before grabbing the plastic cup again. Ash obeyed and he began to rinse the shampoo out of his hair. Ash winced as the soap washed over the cuts on his back. Eiji, noticing his reaction, brushed his fingertips lightly over the wounds with a frown. “I’ll tend to those later,” he murmured.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why are you so kind to me?” Ash whispered, almost to himself. He hugged his knees to his chest. Eiji’s acts of kindness, really any acts of kindness, made him feel small. Weak. Like a baby. It wasn’t unpleasant being vulnerable around this particular boy, however.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Until you start being kind to yourself, I’ll be here,” Eiji said matter of factly as he rinsed the last of the shampoo from Ash’s hair. “And I’ll be here even after that, too. I’ll always be here.” He paused. “If you’ll have me, that is.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ash met Eiji’s eyes. They held no malice. Then again, did they ever?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ash.” Eiji reached out and cupped Ash’s face in his hand, thumbing away tears Ash hadn’t realized were falling. He leaned into his warm touch. “Let me wash your back, hmm?” Ash nodded and leaned forward as Eiji prepared a washcloth and soap. “You’ve got to be more careful, you know. I don’t understand how you manage to get all of these scrapes and bruises.” He dipped the washcloth in the water and moved Ash’s hair aside before rubbing the soapy cloth over his shoulders. “Your hair’s getting so long. It’s really healthy.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll cut it soon.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I like it like this.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ash blushed. “I won’t cut it then,” he blurted out. He instantly regretted it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eiji grinned. “Aw, who knew I had such a strong influence over the lynx?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ash splashed him, eliciting a gasp from the dark haired boy, whose shirtfront was now soaked. “Shut up. Maybe I’m just too lazy to cut it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eiji smirked. “Whatever you say.” He resumed his task, rubbing slow circles over Ash’s skin with the washcloth. Ash suddenly found himself wishing there wasn’t a cloth separating them. He swallowed as Eiji moved lower, and inhaled sharply when he ran over a painful bruise on his hip.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sorry,” he muttered, forcing a smile. “Hurts.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eiji brushed his fingertips over the spot, eliciting another gasp from Ash, but not because of the pain. “Ash,” he said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The blonde swallowed. “Yes?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eiji’s hands brushed his sides, then rose to sit on his shoulders. “One day you’ll come home to me and you won’t have bruises all over you. Or cuts. Or gunshot wounds.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ash’s breath hitched in his throat. He loved hearing the words </span>
  <em>
    <span>come home to me</span>
  </em>
  <span> come out of Eiji’s mouth. He averted his eyes. He didn’t know what to say.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They both knew it was a promise he couldn’t keep.</span>
</p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
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